Bobcat boys rout Northview for 1-22-11

Kurt Fairchild, Bowling Green’s winter Homecoming king and senior reserve guard, reigned prior to and
during the Bobcat’s easy 75-51 win over Northview.
The 6-footer tallied 14 points, including four treys, while missing just one field goal on the night
against Northview’s 2-3 zone. PHOTO GALLERY

“He had a
career high,” said BG coach Von Graffin. “I’m really glad for Kurt. Kurt Fairchild is a huge reason as
to why we are where we are.”
The Bobcats, atop the Northern Lakes League at 8-0, upped their season record to 11-2. The Wildcats fell
to 2-9, 1-7.
“We have a special season going for us,” said Fairchild. “I love playing against the zone because it
leaves me lots of open shots, and I can knock them down.”
BG, which never trailed in the contest, jumped out to a 5-0 lead on senior Chauncey Orr’s stick-back and
a corner triple from senior Max Beattie who nailed a triple in each quarter for a total of 12 points on
the night. A 15-foot jumper by senior Xavier Brown (12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists) at the 5:24 mark
gave BG a double-digit lead, 11-1, they’d never relinquish. Fairchild’s triple with 1:07 left had the
Bobcats up 22-5, and BG led 22-7 after the first quarter.
Northview, which opened the game in a man-to-man defense, found itself being carved up by Orr’s and
Brown’s penetration. Orr scored eight first-quarter points before the Wildcats switched to a zone for
the remainder of the game.
“We ran the same play every time (Northview was in their zone) and they couldn’t handle it,” said Graffin
whose team was 32-of-67 (48 percent) from the field. “Chauncey and Xavier were able to get to the hole
and do some things.”
“Penetration is the key,” said Orr who led all scorers with 23 points while hauling down nine boards,
dishing out five assists, and coming up with three steals. “We just have a bunch of shooters and we’re
aggressive, and that’s where we excel at.”
Ironically, the Wildcat zone slowed the Bobcats in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Northview, behind 6-7
senior Austin Schmidt, who tallied 10 of his team-high 18 points during the period, closed to within
34-23 on a putback by Conner Hartnett (14 points) at the 2:33 mark. BG, behind hoops from Brown, Orr,
and Fairchild, closed the half on a 6-2 run to head to the break up 40-25.
“I was really disappointed with the second quarter,” said Graffin. “When they went zone, we kind of
slowed down and didn’t attack. It resulted in an 18-point second quarter by them, and nobody should get
18 on us in a quarter.”
BG opened the second half with a 7-1 spurt to take a 47-26 advantage with 6:17 showing. Later in the
quarter, the Bobcats fashioned a 9-0 run on back-to-back hoops from Orr, a Fairchild triple, and an Orr
steal and dunk that pushed BG to a 58-30 bulge with 2:16 to go. The period ended with the Bobcats
enjoying a 58-38 lead.
“We got playing fast, and we scored the first five of the second half to make it 20,” said Graffin.
“We’ve only lost one third quarter all year. I credit my staff and the adjustments at halftime for that
stat.”
“In the second half, it was fast breaks and we got easy baskets,” said Orr, just 17 points away from
becoming BGHS’s all time leading scorer. “Coach told us we were playing too slow, and we were letting
them get too many second-chance points. When we push it, we’re a better team and it showed.”
Up 65-43, the Bobcat bench took over for the final five minutes. For the game, BG limited Northview to
just 38 percent (19-of-50) from the floor including 3-of-12 from downtown. The Bobcats won the boards
34-29 and committed just 11 turnovers.
Not only did the game mark BGHS’s winter Homecoming, it also marked Graffin’s return to the bench
following a two-week illness.
“It was really nice for my wife and I to see all the well-wishers,” said Graffin.
“It’s good to get back around these guys; they keep me young. They’re fun to be around and they’re a hard
working group. Coach (Eric) Radabaugh and coach (Kirk) Cowan came in and have done a tremendous job, and
our young men responded to them (going 4-0).”
BGHS 75, NORTHVIEW 51
NORTHVIEW
Wheaton, 1-0—2; Hartnett, 4-1-3—14; Schaffer, 1-1-1—6; Hall, 0-1-0—3; Racicot, 0-0—0; Vizina, 0-0—0;
Schmidt, 7-4—18; Sturt, 3-2—8; Czerniakowski, 0-0—0. TOTALS: 16-3-10—51.
BGHS
Beattie, 0-4-0—12; X. Brown, 6-0—12; Fairchild, 1-4-0—14; Herringshaw, 0-0—0; Dunn, 1-0—2; Orr, 9-1-2—23;
V. Brown, 3-0—6; Gardner, 0-0—0; Peet, 0-0—0; Dill, 0-0—0; Augsburger, 3-0—6; Donaldson, 0-0—0. TOTALS:
23-9-2—75.
NORTHVIEW
7 18 13 13 —51
BGHS 22 18 18 17 —75